by Mia Carson
“I’ll go home when I go home, Tim. I’m a grown man.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” another voice said, and Viktor sat up. Tucker, still in uniform, stood in the doorway with a smirk. “You busy arguing with yourself? Should I come back later?”
Viktor frowned. “I wasn’t arguing with myself.”
“Right, course not,” Tucker said and stepped into the office, sitting down across from him with a folder in his hand. “This woman’s got you all tangled up, hasn’t she?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Viktor said, avoiding his friend’s gaze. “What’s that?”
“Background on your girl,” he said and slid it across the desk. “She’s clean. No run-ins with the law, no dealings with drugs, and as far as I can tell, she graduated at the top of her class in high school and did decently enough in college, though she didn’t finish.”
Viktor nodded, flipping open the folder to read the information. “Why not?”
“I don’t know, but she did find a good job while she was there. Maybe you should just ask the girl instead of investigating her.” Tucker groaned as he leaned back, exhausted, in the chair. “You meet her yet?”
“Had lunch today—well, coffee,” he corrected himself, unable to pull his gaze away from the smiling face in the photo before him. She might look happy, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes, not like it had that afternoon when he’d made her laugh.
Tucker crossed his ankles and closed his eyes. “And? What did you think of her?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, did you take the time to get to know her? I hope you’re not going to go off of what’s in that damn folder you’re holding,” he muttered.
Viktor closed the folder and tossed it on his desk. “No, especially if we’re going to be living together and having a child together—technically,” he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. It was strange. He was actually nervous about spending more time with Evelyn. Butterflies he hadn’t felt in years—not even with Mary before they got engaged—filled his stomach.
It’s just because you’re close to getting what you want you’re worried about it falling through, that’s it. It has nothing to do with her eyes nor the way she drinks her coffee with a satisfied smile after every sip. Hell, you barely know the woman!
So why did he feel like a jackass for only wanting her to have his baby? He didn’t want anything else, no real relationship past what they had to do to convince his family. But picturing Evelyn simply living with him as nothing more than a glorified roommate felt wrong. She deserved more than that in her life, even if she told him she didn’t want it.
“Did you find anything about past engagements or marriages perhaps?” he asked, wondering if her reason for not wanting to find love were much like his.
“None showed up, but that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been in any relationships.” Tucker grunted as he pushed himself up out of the chair. “Listen, talk to her some more and get your answers that way. I gave you what I can, but it’s just bare bones.”
“We’re having dinner tomorrow,” he told his friend.
“Good. I hope you’re cooking. It’s the least you can do for her.”
“I’m not just going to make her get pregnant, have a baby, and dump her,” he snapped. “I’ll take care of them both for the rest of their lives. I see nothing wrong with this arrangement.”
Tucker smirked and strolled to the door, adjusting his utility belt as he went. “Right, nothing wrong with a fake relationship. Tell me something, Vik, you really think the two of you can stay friends,” he said with air quotes, “after you have a kid together?”
“We’re not exactly doing it the natural way,” Viktor mumbled.
“You really think that makes a difference? Just don’t get yourself into something you’ll both regret. Friendly advice. I’ll see you later, Vik,” Tucker said and left before Viktor could argue.
Evelyn and he were adults and, as such, could handle having a friendly relationship with each other and nothing else. No reason existed for any intimate contact and certainly no room for love. Viktor was over trying to find love again. It wasn’t worth it, as far as he was concerned, to find it and have his heart ripped out of his chest. All he wanted was a friend and a child, and with Evelyn, he saw that possibility.
No matter how attractive he found the woman, he couldn’t bring himself to care for her like that. But what he did need to know was whether they’d be able to live together under the same roof. No point agreeing to anything if their daily routines and habits were at odds with each other to the point they hated one another. Plenty of his friends fell for people they thought they loved until they moved in together. Then all hell broke loose, and they broke up within a month. That couldn’t happen if she were pregnant first and then they moved in together.
Viktor pulled up his calendar on the computer, running through ideas in his head to make the process easier, and looked up how many days of vacation he had stacked up. More than enough to take some time away from the office. His parents would be happy he was taking a break, especially if he added in the idea that he was with a woman somewhere, enjoying themselves. A woman they might one day meet if things worked out.
They didn’t have to go far. There were plenty of nice bed and breakfasts around the state they could easily disappear to for a week or more. They both had to be examined by doctors before they could begin the insemination process. If either one of them wasn’t healthy, it wouldn’t work. He’d have to scrap the plan altogether. If all was well, he could see how willing she was to become a mom to his baby and be a part of his world. Being white-collar was far different than what she was used to, and it could scare some people off. Hell, there were days it bothered him knowing his business was always in the society pages and online. Some days, he wished he was nothing more than one of the guys out in the yard, getting his hands dirty and going home to a six-pack at the end of the day.
But he couldn’t desert his family name nor the legacy that came with it.
Tomorrow night, he’d have Evelyn over for dinner and throw out the idea of the vacation to her, along with scheduling appointments for their medical exams. He wasn’t sure if she were trusting enough to go away with him, but if he were willing to trust her, she had to meet him halfway.
He hoped she’d see it that way. She was stubborn, he could tell that much after just a few hours with her, but so was he, especially when it came to getting what he wanted. He might be a gentleman, but he’d waited a long time for this moment and he wasn’t going to let it slip out of his hands easily.
Chapter 9
The day had been long, and Evelyn was exhausted by the time she pulled up to Viktor’s house—mansion, really. She sat in her beat-up old car for a few minutes, staring at the wood and stone front, leaning over to look at the detailing around the windows and door. A balcony rested beneath every room on the top floor, and the landscaping was expertly crafted. The house looked like it had come out of a damn magazine, and she sat in her wrinkled clothes and messy braid, not sure how she would ever fit into this man’s world.
Would she be able to convince his family that she was as high class as they were? She worried about messing up the image of the house if she stepped inside it looking the way she did.
“Nothing else for it,” she told herself as she snagged her purse and got out of the car. “It’s either this or stay in a financial hole.”
She needed options, and quickly, if she was to ever pull herself out of her debt and do what she wanted with her life. Make it all worthwhile. And she was getting a child out of the deal. Somehow, she’d make it all work. Viktor wasn’t a bad guy. He had called her that afternoon instead of texting to give her directions to his place. He offered to pick her up, but she said she’d have to come straight from work. Now, she wished she’d gone home first, even if she was late, just to freshen up a little.
When she reached the front porch and rang the bell, she did a q
uick sniff check of herself and her breath. The door swung open while her nose was turned towards the inside of her coat near her armpit. He smirked, and her face burned as she straightened.
“Hi, sorry if I’m late,” she stammered, trying to put a smile on her face.
His grin widened as he stepped to the side to let her in. He wiped his hands on a dish towel. “No, you’re just in time. The fillets are almost finished, and I was just about to open a bottle of wine. Merlot alright with you?”
After the day she’d had, something stronger would’ve been better, but she didn’t want him to think she was the type of people her parents had been. “Merlot is perfect, thanks.” She stepped inside, and he took her purse and coat, hanging them by the door. She tugged at her wrinkled blouse again and tried to smooth it out.
“You look nice. Stop fretting over it,” he assured her with another smile that caught her off guard and made her knees wobbly.
“Thanks, but I’m sure I’m a mess,” she muttered, and when she walked a few feet into the foyer and saw herself in a mirror, she cursed. “See? Total mess! I shouldn’t have come like this.”
He chuckled and pulled her gently from the mirror so she faced him. His hand smoothed her messy braid, pulling the band loose at the end and letting her hair fall free over her shoulders. Evelyn held her breath, confused by the heat rising in her body. He wasn’t even touching her, but it felt like he was and she didn’t want him to stop. His eyes narrowed and darkened to molten silver.
“You should wear it down more,” he said quietly, letting it fall through his fingers. “It’s beautiful, just like you. So stop fidgeting and come have dinner with me.”
He turned abruptly and moved through the house. Evelyn let out a breath and cursed him quietly. How had he turned her inside-out so easily and just walked away as if it meant nothing? The door was right behind her, and for one heart-pounding second, she considered turning around and leaving, but a chance like this would never pop up again.
Because her blouse looked so terrible, she took it off quickly and wore just the sleeveless black shirt beneath.
“Do you always walk away after handing out compliments?” she asked as she followed his path to the kitchen. Her eyes wandered over the interior, and she gazed in awe at the décor. Definitely more mountain man than rich playboy. “Damn, this is a nice house.”
He was smirking when she found him at the oven pulling something out. “Not usually, but I’d prefer our dinner not to burn—and thanks,” he said. “Took me a while, but I finally got the place looking like I wanted. Had to keep my mom far away from it, though.”
“Why? Too much feminine touch for you?” she teased, taking the seat he motioned at the counter.
“I’m not exactly into the floral patterns,” he said as he poured two glasses of red wine and slid one to her. “Cheers.” He clinked his glass against hers and they sipped. “Dinner’s ready. You can go ahead to the table.”
“Or I can help,” she offered, feeling useless. “What can I carry?”
“No, you’re my guest tonight. Go sit down.” When she walked around the counter to where the food was lined up, he scowled at her. “Evelyn, what are you doing?”
“Ignoring you and taking food to the table,” she said, picking up the salad bowl and two plates. “Look, Viktor, if this is going to happen, you’re going to have to get used to me and me to you, right? I can’t always be your guest. What would your parents think?”
She smiled at his blank expression and walked to the table, setting out the two plates. She returned to the kitchen to grab her glass and his as he continued to stand there, his muscled arms crossed over his chest, tapping his foot in annoyance.
“Are we going to eat or not?”
“Bit stubborn, are we?” he asked, his lips twitching.
She smiled, uncertain why she was so damn comfortable around this man, but she wasn’t going to question it. He kept her in a good mood. “Oh, you have no idea, sunshine.”
Once everything was at the table, they loaded their plates and Evelyn dug in, moaning as she bit into the fillet. “My God,” she whispered, savoring the taste of the steak. “Please tell me you cook like this all the time.”
“Glad you like it,” he said with another molten silver-eyed glance that lingered on her bare shoulders and lower. “I didn’t even think to ask if you were a vegetarian.”
She shook her head as she sipped the wine. “Nope, not me. Mostly grew up on hot dogs and macaroni, but the days we had a steak, those were the best,” she told him, wondering why it was so easy to tell him things even when a voice in the back of her mind nagged her to be careful. She shouldn’t trust him so easily.
“I wish I had nights like that,” he told her. “To eat something normal that I could actually pronounce would’ve been a nice change.”
At first, she thought he mocked her, but his eyes glimmered with mirth as he chuckled and she saw the honesty on his face. “Really? It wasn’t all that great?”
“No, but after a while, you get sick of the finer things in life. At least I did.”
“Is that why you wear flannel shirts?” she asked with a wry grin, nodding to today’s blue flannel shirt. She liked him in blue. It brought out his eyes, and she was about to say so when she coughed and gulped her wine to stop herself. As she swallowed, she felt a ghost of his hands in her hair again. She rarely wore it down, but when she lifted her gaze, he stared at it and smiled before he returned his attention to his plate.
Evelyn set her glass down slowly. Wine might not have been the best idea, nor taking off her blouse. Her whole body grew warm, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t just from the alcohol in her system.
Time ticked by quickly as they talked as old friends would. She didn’t delve into her past too much, nor did she mention the house she’d purchased. She told him other things about her life. He shared stories of growing up, his days working in the lumber yard, and going from being the smallest male cousin to the beefiest after a few tough summers. She smiled wider, knowing he’d worked his ass off to get those muscles naturally and didn’t waste time in a gym pumping iron.
When they finished their meal and the wine, he invited her to join him in the living room. He started a fire in the hearth, and they sipped glasses of brandy. She settled into one of the over-sized plaid chairs, kicked her shoes off without thinking, and curled up into it. He was hunched over by the hearth, setting logs in place and lighting it, and she was content enjoying the view—the way his shoulders bunched beneath his shirt and his forearms tensed as he stoked the flames to life—happy he’d rolled his sleeves up so she could see them.
“That’ll keep the chill out for a while,” he muttered and turned, wiping his hands on his jeans. When he saw her, he froze and his eyes narrowed. His whole body tensed, and he clenched his jaw, taking a step towards her before he stopped himself and exhaled loudly through his nose. “I guess we should talk about why you’re here,” he said, the words husky.
Only Evelyn’s eyes moved as she watched him take a seat across from her. “Yes, the contract,” she agreed, her voice matching his in huskiness.
“Before we agree to anything, we both need to have medical exams to make sure we’re healthy enough to go through with the insemination,” he said, sipping his brandy, his silver eyes darting to her every now and then. “Once we’re both cleared, we can sign the contract. However, there’s something else I think we should do first as well.”
She sat up straighter and wondered if getting so comfortable so quickly was a good idea. “And what might that be?”
“We might not be beginning a real relationship, but if we’re going to live together, I want to make sure we’re compatible,” he told her, running his finger along the rim of his glass, holding her gaze steadily. “To make sure we get along under the same roof.”
She choked on the brandy and cleared her throat. “Sorry, I… uh, that’s a good idea, actually. I just… I wasn’t ready for that.”
&nbs
p; “Well, it’ll happen eventually, right?” he asked, and she loved how nervous he sounded because she wasn’t the only one. “I was thinking we take a few weeks and go on a vacation. My treat, of course, so we can get away and have time together.”
And that was where he lost her. Evelyn nodded slowly, staring into the depths of her glass, but she shook her head vehemently. “No.”
His finger stopped and his nostrils flared. “No?”
She took a deep breath and straightened. “No, I won’t go on a vacation with you. But hear me out,” she said when he opened his mouth to protest. “I want to try living together, but I can’t… It’s not… It’s not that easy for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she said, setting her glass down and folding her hands in her lap, “I can’t just leave for weeks at a time, Viktor. I’m not… I’m not like you. I have two jobs, and if I lose them, I’ll have nothing to come back to.”
His features softened, and he relaxed. “I understand, but you know if this works out you won’t have to work like you are.”
“True, but that’s the key word—if.” It felt good to open up to someone and be honest with how she felt without having to lie about anything. Even Ajay didn’t always get the full side of the truth, and she trusted him. “What if we do something different?”
He shifted, leaning forward to listen. “What did you have in mind?”
What did she have in mind? Part of her wanted to suggest she move in with him for a week or so to test the waters, but a different idea popped into her head. If he were serious about this, she needed him to understand what she would have to give up. If they did this, she would have to change her entire life for him and their future baby, so she needed to know now if he would be willing to compromise. Could he adjust his life for her as much as she was willing to do for him?
